Tree mover



March 11, 1941.

w. L. JEFFREY I 2 ,234,433

TREE MOVER Filed Aug. 22, 1939 III 6 I J Z5 7 Patented Mar. 11, 1941 I 2,234,433

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TREE MOVER Wallace L. Jefirey, Fulton,-Mo.- Application August 22, 1939, Serial No. 291,195

'2 Claims. (01. 214- 3) p A N This invention relates to the art of trans- Figure 1 is a side'viewiof my improved'tree planting trees and more especially to improvemover set in place against a prepared tree ready ments in apparatus for lifting, transporting, and for removal, 1

setting trees of sizes such that they cannot be Fig.2 is a sectional ,view. showing the tree handled manually. mover tilted to theleft 'sufiiciently to raise the 5 The main objects of my present invention are tree and rootball clear: of the ground.

to improve upon. and to provide new and better Fig. 3 shows the tree mover and tree still furfacilities for such devices and especially the ther tilted toa substantially'horizontal position transplanter of my copending application, Serial with the tip of the tower attached to an aux.-

No. 263,815 filed March 23, 1939, now Patent No. iliary' chassis ready for backing the remover 10 2,208,262; to provide in a tree mover, of the kind away from the hole left by'the root-ball. described, means for tilting downwardly the Fig. 4 shows the auxiliarychassis secured to tower-chassis of the mover after it has been the root ball end of the'main chassis, the latter secured to an upright prepared tree so that being tilted upward somewhat at its free end,

ground engaging wheels or an auxiliary chassis theequipment as a wholebeingready for move- 15 having such wheels may be attached to the free ment to the. intended new tree-position. end of the horizontallyv swung main chassis or Fig.v 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the tower member and hold it down while the chassis line 55' of Fig; 6 of an arcuate cable seat and and supported tree as a whole is moved away guide on the free end of the chassis tower.

from the hole left in the ground by the removal Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line, 6-561 of 20 of the rootball; and to provide a cable on'the g. 5.

swing end of such chassis. Fig. 7 is a, small-scale plan view of the. aux- The main object of the cable guide is to cause iliary c ass s. i the frame work to be lowered during ,a tree move Fig. 8is a small-scale plan .view of the twoing operation to a substantially horizontal plane Chassis connector. .l I 25 so as to install a set of wheels on what would 9 is a perspective View Of l' o'd fied form normally be the rear end of the tree mover so. as of "cable guideor seat; to withdraw the removed tree and tree mover Fig. 0 is a'sectional view-ta en o'n the. line away from the hole and thereby more readily ll-"l of Fig 9. r

and less dangerously attach the normal front 11 W a Vertical "S t al de'tail 30. Wheels. throughthe main chassis axial member of Fig. 4.

Another object of this invention is to equip the illustrating the connection of the chassis reprefree end of the main chassis frame or tower ed'i .8- with a removable upstanding or offset cable seat 12 S a V taken 1 6 0f 35 or guide where the frame attaches at times to In t Construction Shown e, d aw 35 the axis of the auxiliary chassis. the main chassis -I comprises-an elongated tri- Further objects of this invention are to proa gula OWer part 2 mounted-on W e Sf3 at its vide, a grooved cable guide attachment for tree broad endor base 2-, which is equipped with an mover towers adapted to enhance the leverage upstanding bunk l'adapted to'receive the trunk 40 effect as the tree and tower approacha .horizonof the tree-5 for transport. 4

tal position; to provide for greater security and h e P k d Of said; towerphas an -out-" I positiveness in operation of tree movers; to prostanding arcuate grooved guide bearing 6 Imount-' vide for greater safety of the workman and to ed thereon, as shown-in Figs. 5 and"6.' Further provide a tree moving device of this kind. which details of construction will be explained in.con"

5 Shall be Simple in Construction a d i expensive nection with the operationand use of the device.

to manufacture a d ta n- The tree to be removed is first prepared .by

Still further objects are to provide facilities digging a trench I about the root-ball 8'after appu t nant to su tr movers and t r which suitable wrappings 9 and in are applied method of u e adapted to enable s immeboth to the root-ball and to those parts of the.

diate removal of the tree from its hole as to trunk which might be bruised bycontact with facilitate attachment of the auxiliary road chasthe bunk 4 and the pull -chain or cable l2;

sis without danger either to the tree or to any of. Fig. 1 shows the main chassis l in place up.-;

the workmen. rightly against the prepared tree 5 with the bunk, This invention is illustrated by the accom I 4 resting directlylagainst the trunkcloseto the panying drawing in which: root-ba1l8, the wheels 3 being locked; A, chain 5.

l4 extends from the free peak end |5 of the chassis to a screw-hook l5 set firmly in the root-ball. The other chain l2 extends from the said free end l5 to that part of the trunk which is directly opposite, with sufficient, slack to ac- -commodate a parallel position of the trunk relahorizontal load position, with the root-ball raised clear of its hole 1. This position was effected. by exerting a pulling action on the cable I! through action of the winch .or tractor, not shown. Fig. 3 shows .the treein its same position relative to the chassis I, but here both are horizontal. Fig. 3 showsalso the'free end |5 of chassistower resting upon andiattachedto the base of'an auxiliary wheeled chassis 2| andzwith the power cable still in tension but in a horizontal position spaced above-its guide 6. The-main chassis wheels 3 are next unlocked whereupon continued pull on the power cable |l draws the-main chassis away from the hole 1 sumciently to avoid danger from proximity to the. hole; cave-in of the sides of thetrench 1'; and" so also as to facilitate transfer of the auxiliary chassis on its wheels 22from the tower tip IE to the front end of the main chassis as shown in Fig. 4', where chassis I and 2| are connected. by a link member or reach 23 adaptedv to be set rigidly in the base part of chassis Here the mainchassis and tree are tilted upwardly somewhat and the weight of the rootball' overhanging betweenthe wheels 3 of the main chassis and the auxiliary chassis 2| assure stable position and balance of the tree in transport when the tractor, not shown, is attached at 24 to the front end of. the auxiliary chassis 2| shown at the right of Fig.4. The link'23 is a substantially triangular frame'with its base 25 rigidly connected to chassis I under the rootball. Its forward tip is pivoted to chassis 2|.

Referring now to structural features of the cable seat or guide 6, it is to be noted that the bearing face groove 30 extends convexly' through about on a specially formed'block which may well be made of'cast metal, with a vertical mounting pin 3|, the-top of which may beset permanently therein; This block ishollowed out some what on its concave sideas at 6 where three bearings 3233-34 are provided as shown, two resting on the top of the chassis as at 35 and 36 andone against its end as at 31. The said pin is received in a vertical hole 39 extending through the tip l5 of the chassis tower, as viewed in Fig.

must be stationed on higher land near by for good footing. The power truck may be setting as much as twenty-five feet higher than the tree mover. Without my special cable attachment in that position of the mover it is absolutely impossible to lower the frame or chassis enough to load the tree.

Operation Whenever a tree 5 of appropriate size for the use of my invention is to be transplanted, a trench I is dug about the root part 8 as shown in Fig. 1 and appropriate wrappings are applied asat 9 and Ill.

The main vehicle member comprising chassis and wheels 3 is then set in place uprightly against the tree as shown in Fig. 1. The chain It and, cable H are secured to the screws l6 and I8 respectively in the tree-ball and chain 2 is' secured to the trunk opposite the guide 6 whereon cable rests. The bunk 4 is fitted snugly against the tree close to the root-ball 8 and the wheels 3 are locked.

In the modified'form of construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the medial link or reach 2" is provided with a bearing face groove 30 formed and arranged in the forward end l5 of the chassis andextends convexly therethrough about 90. The vertical hole 39' in this instance is set back further from the end |5 than in the preferred embodiment. It can readily be seen that the action accomplished by chassis by the use of the removable guide 6 can forthwith be accomplished by employing this modified form as will be readily understood.

Tension is then applied to cable ll as by means of a tractor or equivalent means, not shown, whereupon with the wheels 3 and axle 40 serving as a fulcrum, the chassis is swung downward toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 1. This results in powerful lifting tension on the chain I4 and the downwardly extending part of cable Then, as the pull continues the tree as a Whole is lifted somewhat andchain I2 is thrown in tension by reason of the. overbalancing weight of the root-ball tending to throw the trunk away from said chassis.

Further pull on cable brings the chassis and tree into the position shown in Fig. 2 where, as will be seen, the cable I! rides on the upstanding guide 6 which is-formed and adapted to prevent lateral swing of the chassis end I5 and also permits downward swing of said end I5 away from the cable as soon as cable comes to a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3. At this stage the chassis swings down to a horizontal position below cable whereupon the auxiliary chassis 2| is set in place, the guide 6 now being lifted off and chassis tip l5 pivotally secured'to the base of chassis 2| at 2| midway between its wheels 22, as in Fig. 3. This auxiliary chassis 2| serves as a counter balance in place of cable IT to hold the main chassis horizontal.

Further pull on the cable ll or a simultaneous pull exerted through the chassis 2|, by any suitable means,now draws the tree and apparatus as a whole rearwardly away from the root hole 1 far enough to give ample clearance and avoid accidents that might occur from too close proximity during further steps in the process.

The next operation, with cable I! still in tension and wheels 3 locked, is to disconnect the auxiliary chassis 2| from tip |5 and bring it around opposite the root-ball as shown in Fig. 4 where it is pivotally connected at 2| to the forward end 23' of the connector or reach 23, the broad base 25 of which, by means of its lugs 26 is set rigidly on chassis I between its wheels 3. The connecting parts of chassis I and link member 23 are so formed that when the tension on cable I1 is relaxed appropriately and the chassis l is thus permitted to swing upward somewhat to the position of Fig. 4, due to the weight of the ball, said connecting parts may be placed in mutual engagement and there fastened, so as to keep the tree branches well off the ground. In so doing the free ends of lugs 26 on connector link 23 are placed over the slots All in the bearing 40" formed integral on axle Ml, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, and are there held by bolts 26'.

The mover as a whole is now ready for transport and any suitable motor car, van or tractor is attached to the forward end 24 of the auxiliary chassis 2|.

Upon arrival at the new tree site, a hole already having been prepared, the reverse operation substantially is followed, as will be apparent, whereby the tree is gently lowered into place. The wrappings are then removed and earth tamped around the roots, whereupon the operation is complete.

It is to be understood that some of the details set forth may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tree transplanter comprising a V-shaped bunk-chassis having a pair of road wheels at its broad end, one on each side, whereon the chassis is tiltable, as when it is applied to the tree, a bunk on said chassis, a cable having means at one end to engage the tree-ball, a guide removably mounted on the narrow end of said chassis to releasably receive and guide said cable as the tree is being lifted and swung over onto the chassis, and means to secure the tree to said chassis.

2. A tree transplanter comprising an oblong bunk-chassis having a pair of road wheels at one end, one on each side, whereon the chassis is tiltable when applied to the tree, a power cable having means at one end to engage the tree-ball, a pair of chains attached to the opposite end of said chassis with their opposite ends attached to the root-ball and tree trunk respectively, and a grooved guide removably mounted on the narrow end of said chains to releasably receive and guide said cable as the tree is lifted and pulled over onto the chassis by means of said cable.

3. A tree transplanter comprising a V-shaped elongated chassis having a pair of road wheels at its broad end, one on each side, whereon the chassis is tiltable upward to nearly a vertical position to receive the standing tree, a cableguide at the chassis apex, an upstanding bunk fixed on the broad end of said chassis to bear against and receive the base part of the tree trunk, a chain having one end adapted to be secured to the root-ball, with a medial part attached to the narrow end of the chassis and another part adapted to extend thence to the tree trunk for securing thereto, and a power cable adapted to be secured at one end to the treeball and to extend thence tangentially to and through said guide and onto a source of tractive power.

4. A tree transplanter comprising an elongated chassis having a bunk and a pair of road wheels at one end, one on each side, whereon the chassis is tiltable upward to nearly a vertical position to receive the tree, the other end of the chassis being formed with an apex, a removably attached guide at the chassis apex, said bunk being adapted to bear against and receive the base part of the tree trunk, a chain having one end adapted to be secured to the root-ball, with a medial part attached to the swing end of the chassis and another part adapted to extend thence to the tree trunk for securing thereto, and a power cable adapted to be secured at one end to the tree-ball and to extend thence to and through said guide and on to a somewhat remote source of tractive power.

5. The method of moving a tree which consists in securely applying thereto a tiltable wheeled chassis in its standing position, loading the tree on said chassis by pulling over and downward arcuatelythe upper end of the chassis by means of a power cable secured to the tree ball and passing over a guide on the swing end of the chassis, then with the power cable raised and in tension, removing the cable-guide from said chassis and attaching an auxiliary wheeled chassis in its place, then pulling the loaded chassis away from the root-ball pit, then securing a reach on the root-ball end of said chassis, then transferring the auxiliary chassis from the swing end of the first chassis to its opposite end when secured to .the free end of said reach and thus making substantially a four-wheeled vehicle ready for transport wherever desired.

6. The method of moving a tree which consists in applying thereto a tiltable wheeled bunkchassis in its up-ended standing position, loading the tree on said chassis by pulling over and downward arcuately the upper end of the chassis by means of a power cable secured to the tree ball and passing over the swinging end of the chassis, then with said cable still holding the chassis and tree in place horizontally, attaching an auxiliary wheeled chassis to the swing end of the bunk-chassis, then pulling the loaded bunk-chassis away from the root-ball pit, then securing a reach on the root-ball end of said chassis, then transferring the auxiliary chassis from the swing end of the first said chassis to its opposite end Where it is attached to the free end of the reach, thus making substantially a four-wheeled vehicle ready for transport wherever desired.

'7. A tree transplanter comprising a V-shaped bunk-chassis having a pair of road wheels at its broad end, one on each side, whereon the chassis is tiltable, as when it is applied to the tree, a cable having means at one end to engage the tree-ball and a guide on the narrow end of said chassis to releasably receive and guide said cable as the tree is being lifted and swung over onto the chassis and to lower the narrow end of said chassis into close proximity to the ground.

WALLACE L. JEFFREY. 

